Download “In the World” for April 2, 2023 here.
THE EMPTY HOMES
In Hong Kong, forty thousand small housing units sit empty. Some were occupied briefly for COVID-19 quarantine stays during the pandemic. But nearly two-thirds of them were never occupied, having been finished after the need diminished, and one was just officially shut in March. This in a city of seven million residents where 1.4 million live below the poverty line and many need subsidized housing. While the average new home sells for over a million dollars, and hundreds of thousands of people wait five years or more for housing, all these quarantine units remain empty. Some critics theorize that the government obtains so much income from house prices being high that it is intentionally slow to ease the housing problem and thus drive down home prices. A government spokesperson said that future plans for the empty units “will be announced after a decision is made.”
THE EMPTY TOMB
When the women got to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, they found the stone rolled away and no sign of Jesus. They saw angels, heard about the resurrection, and ran to tell the disciples. Not knowing what to think, Peter ran to the tomb and he too found it empty. Even when we believe, we can still be astonished when God moves in power.
- What’s an example of government doing a good job for its citizens?
- What questions do you have about the resurrection of Jesus?
- When have you believed that something would happen and yet you were still surprised when it did?
Additional Resources
These videos and materials are for your personal use. If you show videos in class, be sure to have the necessary rights to do so.
- Music Video, Traditional: “Hosanna” by Michael W. Smith
- Music Video, Multicultural: “Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord” by Kaestrings
- Music Video, Contemporary: “Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord” by Kaestrings
- Guzik’s Commentary on Luke 24
- Clarke’s Commentary on Luke 24
- Ellicott’s Commentary on Luke 24